Schaum's Outline of Probability and Statistics (Paperback)

by Murray R Spiegel (Author), John J. Schiller (Author), R. Alu Srinivasan (Author) "We are all familiar with the importance of experiments in science and engineering..." (more)
Key Phrases: mean breaking strength, hypothesis that the coin, defective bolts, Work Problem, Prove Theorem, Supplementary Problems (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Selling over 220,000 copies in its first edition, Schaum's Outline of Probability and Statistics has become a vital resource for the more than 977,000 college students who enroll in related probability and statistics courses each year. Its big-picture, calculus-based approach makes it an especially authoriatative reference for engineering and science majors. Now thoroughly update, this second edition includes vital new coverage of order statistics, best critical regions, likelihood ratio tests, and other key topics.

From the Back Cover

Master probability and statistics with Schaum's­­the high-performance study guide. It will help you study efficiently, develop problem-solving skills, and achieve your personal best on exams!

Students love Schaum's Outlines because they produce results. Each year, hundreds of thousands of students improve their test scores and final grades with these indispensable study guides.

If you don't have a lot of time but want to excel in class, use this book to:

• Brush up before tests
• Find answers fast
• Study quickly and more effectively
• Get the big picture without spending hours poring over lengthy textbooks

Schaum's Outlines give you the information your teachers expect you to know in a handy and succinct format­­without overwhelming you with unnecessary detail. You get a complete overview of the subject. Plus, you get plenty of practice exercises to test your skill. Compatible with any classroom text, Schaum's let you study at your own pace and remind you of all the important facts you need to remember­­fast! And Schaum's are so complete, they're perfect for preparing for graduate or professional exams.

Inside you will find:

• 760 fully-worked problems with step-by-step solutions
• Hundreds of additional practice problems with answers
• Coverage of all course fundamentals
• Easy-to-understand methodology

If you want top grades and a thorough understanding of probability and statistics, this powerful study tool is the best tutor you can have! Chapters include:

• Basic Probability
• Random Variables & Probability Distributions
• Mathematical Expectation
• Special Probability Distributions
• Sampling Theory
• Estimation Theory
• Tests of Hypotheses & Significance
• Curve Fitting, Regression, & Correlation
• Analysis of Variance
• Nonparametric Tests

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Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 2 edition (March 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071350047
• ISBN-13: 978-0071350044
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #179,855 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Great for Self-Study and Understanding, August 15, 2004

By	Lee Corbin - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a completely outstanding work by an outstanding author. I have used this book for years, and again and again find myself turning to it for essential summaries and derivations of key results. Evidently some reviewers have not even caught on to the fact that the proofs of all the theorems are in the solved problems! (This is my first Amazon review, but I cannot allow the injustice perpetrated by some other reviewers to stand.)

All of the (few) typos of concern to some reviewers are in the "supplementary problems", and by the time you've got there you'll have no little confidence in your own answers and in your own ability. This is *the* probability and statistics book for me because the proofs are presented with minimum formality in order to maximize understanding of the main ideas. Want to know how to *derive* the chi-square distribution or how to add or multiply random variables? You'll find no clearer or more succinct presentation anywhere.

The first two chapters are also suitable for beginners. Copious examples (as thoughout) attend the presentations of (elementary) set theory, probability axioms, and combinatorics. The supplementary problems, always optional, however, do contain intermediate level challenges.

The book is entirely self-contained, and though it is of course true that extra books always help, it's the best single-source. It's ideal for self-study, as are all of Murray Spiegel's Schaum Outlines.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars huh?, July 23, 2004

By	esseyo (Jersey City, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

Most books have errors and typos. This book is no exception but I am curious as to why some reviewers think that nothing is proven. Of course some theorems are not proven rigorously which they can't be at this level but most proofs exist. If you are confused about Jacobians, then maybe you should also reference a calculus book because Spiegel expects that you know what that is.

This is an excellent book to refresh your knowledge of intro probability and statistics but assumes you are proficient in calculus.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars VERY GOOD FOR INDEPENDENT STUDY, April 28, 2006

By	VALENTINE ODUENYI (Switzerland) - See all my reviews

This is one of the few Statistics texts to turn to, if you indulge in any sort of independent study. Its contents are broad, and ramified virtually every aspect of core statistics and probability. I particularly valued the way it handled data analyses and result interpretations.
Whether you are interested in Numerical Descriptive Measures, Discrete Probability, Interval Estimation, or Hypothesis Testing, this book has something to make you happy. And, although its Analysis of Varience fell below my expectation, I was compensated by its handling of both Linear Regression and Non-parametric Tests. The outlook of this book is fine, and its topics are straightforward. It makes learning seem effortless!
However, the main downside I noticed is that this book did not explain theorems (and advanced formulae) in details. As a result of this, science and mathematics students may need to acquire additional book for that purpose. But overall, it remains a valuable text: especially for self-teaching students.